As we celebrate Independence Day tomorrow, AEI Public Opinion Expert Karlyn Bowman and researcher Andrew Rugg have published a new piece on the state of American patriotism. Despite 77% of Americans reporting dissatisfaction with the way the things are going in the United States in a June Gallup poll, Americans remain very patriotic.
Among the highlights:
- "I am very patriotic": In a Pew Research poll this spring, 88% of respondents agreed with this statement. This is nearly identical to the 89% that agreed the first time Pew asked the question in 1987.
- America has the best government: In a 2011 Washington Post poll, 77% said that the U.S. has the best system of government in the world. Only 21% disagreed.
- America is the best place to live: Last year in a Fox News poll, 84% of registered voters reported the U.S. was the best country in which to live. Over a three year international Gallup survey, 23% of potential migrants named the U.S. as their desired future residence. The United Kingdom and Canada were a distant second.
Karlyn Bowman can be reached at kbowman@aei.org or 202.862.5910 (research assistant andrew.rugg@aei.org or 202.862.5917).
For additional help, other media inquiries, or to reserve AEI's in-house TV studio or ISDN facilities, please contact michael.pratt@aei.org or 202.862.5823.
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